While most surnames in India reflect caste and lineage, the Parsis had a delightfully modern streak — having landed without caste, history and context, they created identities through professions and urban streets.

Our family moved to Bombay (now Mumbai) from Rawalpindi in 1947. We came as refugees but the family soon settled and by 1953 my father had restarted playing golf at the Willingdon Club. I was eight years old and would walk 18 holes with him every Saturday and Sunday.

The three Parsi gentlemen who made up his regular four-ball were uncles Poonawala, Coorlawala and Colabawala. Very soon they had rechristened my father Pindiwala.

Uncle Colabawala did not live in Colaba but in a penthouse on Malabar Hill. May be his ancestors had lived in Colaba.

I used to spend hours searching the telephone directory to find Parsi surnames and stories around their families.

There was prohibition in Bombay those days. So to get liquor you had to find Mr Dalal, who would introduce you to Mr Daruwala, who in turn would get bottles delivered to your home by Mr Batliwala who would be accompanied by
Mr Sodawaterbottleopenerwalla (the longest Parsi surname I have come across).

We used to have two delightful Siamese kittens in our flat and these were gifted to my mother by her friend Mrs Billimoria. My mother spent hours knitting cardigans for them, with wool she bought from the Unwala family.

My uncle ran the air force canteen in Cotton Green and his partner, yes you guessed it, was Mr Canteenwala. They had this fantastic cook, Mr Bhajiwala.

Their mild and meek manager, Mr Jeejeebhoy, nodded his head and agreed with everything everybody said.

My grandfather was the Sheriff of Bombay. I think the first and only Parsi to hold this position. Being Sheriff it was only natural that he had Mr Bandookwala and Mr Golimarwala as his constant companions.

Grandfather had many Parsi friends who were in politics. There was this squeaky clean khadi-clad Mr Ghandy, and the not so clean Mr Kalaghandy —

My grandfather built Hotel Waldorf on Arthur Bunder Road in Colaba. So for this he naturally used the services of Mr Contactor and Mr Mistry. Yet… He never went to the conservative moneylenders when short of money, but borrowed it from his Parsi friend Mr Readymoney.

Our neighbour and family physician was Dr Adi Doctor — he was only half a doctor. He lived withh his in laws Mr and Mrs Pochkhanawala. My sister swears they ate only poached eggs for breakfast.

I remember going to Dr Doctor’s sister’s wedding. She married one Mr Screwala. What he did for a living, I do not know to this day.

It is no exaggeration to say that Parsis, the Zoroastrians of India, take their food seriously – very seriously.

Love of good food and drink plays a central, oftentimes quirky, role in nearly every aspect of our culture.

When our babies sit upright for the first time, we celebrate by making them sit on top of laddoos (Indian sweet). At Parsi weddings, the clarion call of jamva chaloji (let’s eat!) has a hypnotic appeal.

Weddings are judged almost entirely on the quality of the pulao dal (rice and lentils) and the freshness of the patrani macchi (fish steamed in chutney).

For any other occasion or milestone, we scrupulously avoid fasting, proscribed in our religion as a sin.

Food is etched into our identity, and in many cases it is quite literally written into our names. Indeed, Parsi surnames provide a veritable smorgasbord of edible associations.

One family, with its roots in the western Indian city of Surat, evidently failed spectacularly in the art of cooking and, therefore, earned the surname Vasikusi, which means stinky food.

Other Parsi last names include Boomla, the Gujarati term for the Bombay duck, a slimy fish which has a dedicated fan following in the community, and Gotla, which is a fruit seed.

One particularly unusual variant of surnames ends with the suffix khao, suggesting a desire to eat or greediness.

A Papadkhao, therefore, could be a devoted consumer or hoarder of crispy fried papadums.

The existence of Bhajikhaos (vegetable-eater) demonstrates that not all Parsis were raging carnivores.

Curiously, a number of surnames revolve around cucumbers (kakdi): aside from Kakdikhaos, we also find Kakdichors (cucumber thief).

WHILE most surnames in India reflect caste and lineage, the Parsis had a delightfully modern streak — having landed without caste, history and context, they created identities through professions and urban streets.

Our family moved to Bombay (now Mumbai) from Rawalpindi in 1947. We came as refugees but the family soon settled and by 1953 my father had restarted playing golf at the Willingdon Club. I was eight years old and would walk 18 holes with him every Saturday and Sunday. The three Parsi gentlemen who made up his regular four-ball were “uncles” Poonawala, Coorlawala and Colabawala. Very soon they had rechristened my father Pindiwala.

Uncle Colabawala did not live in Colaba but in a penthouse on Malabar Hill. May be his ancestors had lived in Colaba. I used to spend hours searching the telephone directory to find Parsi surnames and building up stories around their families.

There was prohibition in Bombay those days. So to get liquor you had to find Mr Dalal, who would introduce you to Mr Daruwala, who in turn would get bottles delivered to your home by Mr Batliwala who would be accompanied by Mr Sodawaterbottleopenerwalla (the longest Parsi surname I have come across).

We used to have two delightful Siamese kittens in our flat and these were gifted to my mother by her friend Mrs Billimoria. My mother spent hours knitting cardigans for them, with wool she bought from the Unwala family.

My uncle ran the air force canteen in Cotton Green and his partner, yes you guessed it, was Mr Canteenwala. They had this fantastic cook, Mr Bhajiwala. Their mild and meek manager, Mr Jeejeebhoy, nodded his head and agreed with everything everybody said.

My grandfather was the Sheriff of Bombay. I think the first and only Sikh to hold this position. Being Sheriff it was only natural that he had Mr Bandookwala and Mr Golimarwala as his constant companions.

Grandfather had many Parsi friends who were in politics. There was this squeaky clean khadi-clad Mr Ghandy, and the not so clean Mr Kalaghandy — who was invariably being hounded by Mr Kotwal. But he never left home without his “friends” Mr Barrister, Mr Vakil, Mr Lawyer and their munshi Mr Mehnty.

My grandfather built Hotel Waldorf on Arthur Bunder Road in Colaba. So for this he naturally used the services of Mr Contactor and Mr Mistry. He never went to the “native” moneylenders when short of money, but borrowed it from his Parsi friend Mr Readymoney.

Our neighbour and family physician was Dr Adi Doctor — he was only half a doctor. He lived with his in laws Mr and Mrs Pochkhanawala. My sister swears they ate only poached eggs for breakfast.

I remember going to Dr Doctor’s sister’s wedding. She married Mr Screwala. What he did for a living, I do not know to this day. If you are in Mumbai maybe you can track him down in the yellow or pink pages.

Jokes apart, there is a lesson for all of us here: imagine if we could christen our politicians through democratic vote: Jinnahwalla, Nikarwalla, Icequeen, Motawalla! It would really be able to keep everyone in check, where individuals and media didn’t only control your public profile but also your public identity.

The Parsis have taught us that if you take serious interest in satire, you can change the world! My name today is Comedymanifestowalla!

I Have Made an Extant list of PARSI IRANI SURNAMES, about 2482 & Counting, ALPHABETICAL as Well as GROUPWISE, To make it more interesting, now I have
made it along with some Comments on their ORIGIN.

Surnames ending in ‘WALA’ (mainly – OF) could be either of Place or Of that Trade. The same way, ‘GAR’/’GARA’ too could be ‘A MAKER’, or it could show ‘OF A PLACE’ {Actually it is GAR / GARA – To Make} & {GHAR / GHARA – Stayer} It shows that the Parsis were everywhere,From Zaiwala to Madraswala to Adenwala To Mombassawala, adopted from the place they lived. They Were Masters at the Trade done, from Roowala, to Workingboxwala to Wadiwala , to Ghaaswala etc. Some surnames were dropped & only father’s name adopted. Dadabhai Naoroji (DORDI) & Jamshedji Jeejjeebhoy (BATLIWALA) are famous instances.

First printed in PARSIANA of March-1997 & in 1998, 2000, 2001, 2003 & 2005 Online Published On 23rd February 2008 @ Zoroastrians.net, in category ~ NAMES SURNAMES & MORE ~ Copy the Link Given to View the Surnames.

CHICHGAR :- Maker of Special Wooden Toys. CHICH =Wooden Toy. GAR = To make.
PAAJNIGARA :- One Who Makes a Very Fine Silk Cloth. PAAJ = Very Fine Silk Cloth, GARA = maker.
RAO :- A TITLE. Meant for an Honourable person, A local king type, specially in Maharashtra
TATA :- Inherited By Jamshedji , whose ancestor was Very Hot Tempered, Like a Tartar. A more appropriate Coinage – could be from Gujarati RAATA -TAATA, Originally RAATAD = Red faced (with Anger like a Tartar).
DOKAWALA :- Originally Taken From DOKA-WADI-WALA Shortened to DOKAWALA. Named from a Maidan near the GOTI ADRAN In Surat,- originally Known as DOKA-WADI, as There was a fierce Battle between the Marathas & the Moghuls & as many Heads had rolled there, – so it was Known as DOKA = HEADS. WADI = Place, Area. The Palia Family who owned the land Adopted the Surname DOKA WADI WALA..
PANDEY / PANDAY:- One who is a Learned Man. From Sanskrit PANDITYA=Learned Man. Bhikhaji Behramji (Of Bhikha Behram Well) -while coming to Mumbai from Bharuch, was arrested on suspicion of being a spy. He was kept in a ‘PANDERGADH’ Fort Near ‘Valsad.- Popularly known as ‘PANDAY’ Fort. Thus This Surname stuck as PANDAY.